Dark Rain

Dark Rain:
(A Fiery Dawn side story)


Tsunade sat at her desk staring at her reflection in the sake held firmly in her hand while she listened to the cold, heavy rain pelting her window.  Her thoughts kept repeating of the funeral she had to over see earlier in the day and how the rain was the perfect setting for it all.  Today she had to bury three genin and their jounin leader because of one man’s greed.
The longer she thought about it the more her anger welled up inside her until the cup in her hand shattered.  The sake immediately caused the new cuts in her hand to burn to with a painful intensity snapping her out of her daze.  Tsunade stood from her chair and walked to the window as she removed the pieces of the cup from her hand.  
“I have a personal mission I want done,” coldly stated Tsunade as she cracked open the window and focused her chakra into the cuts healing them.
Taurus had been sitting on the side of the building right outside her window awaiting those very words.  The rain was cold tonight and it had already soaked his dark clothes thoroughly but to him it was but a small discomfort.  His black dog ANBU mask kept the rain out of his eyes as he opened them and spoke, “I am your weapon Hokage-sama.”
“I personally chose you for this mission because you have always fulfilled your duty without question,” she started still trying to wrap her mind around what she was about to order, “You know of the funeral that took place?”
“Yes Hokage-sama.”
“They…died because a noble within Konoha sold secret information to our enemies,” spoke Tsunade as she took in a deep breath, “Abe Hisa a prominent merchant has been selling information for several months now and his greed has cost us dearly.  Your mission…is…to…”
“To kill him,” emotionlessly added Taurus as small waterfalls of rainwater fell from his soaked uniform.
“I did not want to issue this mission but his crimes are unforgivable and I do not want his family disgraced.  Both of his children are in the academy and a public arrest would ostracize them…I know you can make his death look…natural,” she said with a heavy heart and tears in her eyes.



“Mom why can’t we live in Konoha,” asked an eight-year-old Taurus as he sat in the soft grass looking out over the great Village Hidden in the Leaves.
“Well,” started his mother with sorrow clinging to her voice, “Our cousin betrayed Konoha and has committed many crimes…because of what he did our family was disgraced, dishonored and forced to leave.  Many of our family took their own lives to save face…but how can you redeem (sob) your name if you (sob) kill yourself.”
“Mom please don’t cry,” comforted Taurus as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her neck, “I swear to you that I will redeem our name.”



“What about the information leak,” asked Taurus as his thoughts returned to the present, “Should I also deliver retribution…”
“No I have my most reliable shinobi taking care of that,” interrupted Tsunade as she took comfort in her thoughts of an orange clad, loud mouthed ninja, “His team left three hours ago to deal with that.  Your mission is to punish Abe Hisa.”
“Understood,” answered Taurus just moments before he vanished.
Tsunade closed the window and sat back down at her desk.  She began to sort paperwork and clean up the spilt sake when the weight of her orders came crashing down on her shoulders.  She shoved all of the paperwork into the floor as tears began to flow down her cheeks as the thoughts of a Hokage issuing orders to assassinate one their own citizens assaulted her mind.  


Taurus crawled along the outside wall of Hisa’s home looking in each of the windows looking for his target.  He glanced in on both of his children sleeping soundly in their rooms.  He moved along clinging to the side of the house utilizing just enough chakra in the palms of his hands to maintain his grip so he did not alert anyone.
The ANBU slid open the window to Abe Hisa’s bedroom and slowly entered.  He used his chakra to seal all the moisture in his clothes, on his skin and in his hair so he did not leave one drop of water behind as evidence of his presence.  He closed the window quietly as he saw that Hisa was not in the bed with his slumbering wife.
Taurus then sensed that there was movement down stairs directly beneath him.  He silently made his way down the stairwell and into the living area of their home.  He could see a light on in an adjacent room, so he crept to the paper door and peaked inside to see Hisa sitting at his desk with a very somber expression gripping his face.
“Please come in,” spoke Hisa with trepidation riddling his voice.
“Abe Hisa,” spoke Taurus with a dead cold tone.
“I know why…you are here,” he replied as his eyes took in every nuance of Taurus’ grey uniform, scarred black armor and unusual black mask, “I knew an ANBU would come for me…but I never would have imagined they would send the Black Death of Konoha.”
“Abe Hisa your greed has charged a heavy toll this night,” eerily whispered Taurus as he walked toward his target, “and you will pay with your life.”
“Will my deeds be made public,” quickly asked Hisa holding his hands up in ‘wait’ gesture.
“No.”
“Thank you,” replied Hisa as he closed his eyes awaiting his fate.
“You face your death with honor,” whispered Taurus as he leaned down, “It will be painful but I will make it quick.”
Without further hesitation or spoken word Taurus softly struck Abe Hisa in three specific points on his body and then placed his hand gently over his mouth.  The ANBU stared in Hisa’s dark brown eyes with his own pale blue eyes as he saw the pain begin to grip his target.  Despite the pain, despite the fact he was dying, Hisa did not show fear in his final moments and Taurus knew that he was truly remorseful for what he had done.
The moment Hisa’s last breath left his body Taurus positioned his body in a natural slumping position as if he had fallen asleep.  He removed any and all evidence of his presence before he double checked on his family to a sure they were still sleeping.  Once his mission was completed he exited the home and slipped away into the shadows.

  
   
Tsunade held a brave face and strong composure to make sure she showed no signs of the distress she suffered through the night before.  She listened intently to the drenched Naruto’s report of their encounter with the spies when Shizune walked in.  Hinata stepped aside so Tsunade’s assistant could walk by as she sneezed from being in such damp clothes.  
Sai began his part of the debriefing as Tsunade looked down at the piece of paper Shizune put on her desk.  She read where they had discovered the body of Abe Hisa shortly after sunrise and after Sakura’s examination it appeared he died from heart failure.  Tsunade took a sip from her sake, placed the paper in the trash and returned her attention to the report being given.